Estimating the environmental impacts of 57,000 food products

Summary

Clark et al. developed a novel approach to estimate the environmental impacts of processed food products by inferring ingredient compositions from manufacturer ingredient lists and linking them to environmental databases covering four impact indicators. Applied to 57,000 products in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the method demonstrates that food types vary substantially in environmental impact—from low-impact categories (sugary beverages, fruits, breads) to high-impact categories (meat, fish, cheese)—and reveals that more nutritious products are often (though not always) more environmentally sustainable. Sensitivity analyses support the robustness of the approach to uncertainty in ingredient composition and sourcing data, providing a potential tool for informing consumer, retailer, and policy-maker decision-making.

Regional applicability

The study was conducted specifically on UK and Ireland food products using retail data from these markets, making findings directly applicable to UK food supply, retail policy, and consumer communication initiatives. The methodology provides a practical tool for UK retailers, policy makers and consumers to assess product-level environmental impacts at scale.

Key measures

Greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water stress, eutrophication potential; cross-referenced with NutriScore nutritional profiling

Outcomes reported

The study developed and applied a methodology to estimate environmental impacts (greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water stress, eutrophication potential) across 57,000 food products in the United Kingdom and Ireland by inferring ingredient composition from ingredient lists and pairing with environmental databases. Analysis revealed variation in environmental impacts by food type and identified trade-offs and alignments between nutritional quality (NutriScore) and environmental sustainability.

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